In the ninth year of Kaibao's reign, on the first day of the sixth lunar month in summer, this was a special day. Emperor Liu was going to crown his sons kings. This was a major event that caused a sensation in both the government and the public, and was another grand event for the court in the first half of this year.
The news of the title of king had actually been spread for a long time, and it was widely circulated within the royal family and the court. This was a matter of course. Even according to the established rules, as the son of the emperor, it was natural for him to be granted the title of king and nobility, and no one would have any objection.
As for Emperor Liu, he had already had this idea. However, due to his concept of "no knighthood for meritorious service", he has always shown some restraint. Even if this concept is applied to members of the royal family, it will not be tenable in actual operation, but Emperor Liu will inevitably There is a certain mentality of being both upright and upright.
In the ninth year of Kaibao's reign, there were only three people in the Han Dynasty clan who were crowned princes, King Yong Liu Chengxun and King Xu Liu Chengyun, as well as Liu Min, who inherited the lineage of King Wei. Even counting the lineage of Liu Chong, the king of Zhou who was awarded the title of King of Zhou by Emperor Liu in the early years, and the king of Taiyuan who was deprived of his title, there are only five people.
Liu Chong was originally sent to Luoyang for retirement, and his title was retained. However, after his sudden death, his descendants were placed under house arrest, and his title was reduced to three levels in a row, and Liu Chengjun inherited it.
Except for a few sons who have been awarded the title of duke one after another, the number of knights in other clans can be said to be very rare. Not only was the clan's bloodline weak, but more importantly, it was Emperor Liu's vague suppression.
It can be said that during Emperor Liu's reign, the Han clan did not enjoy the power and status they deserved. On the one hand, Emperor Liu insisted on conferring titles with merit. On the other hand, Emperor Liu was stingy and trusting and did not give the descendants of the clan a chance to advance.
Over time, how could the descendants of the Han clan be without resentment, and Emperor Liu did not believe that they had no resentment. This was also the case in the previous episode. Once Emperor Liu lifted the ban, the Han clan became very happy, and some even cried for joy.
Nowadays, the imperial court has new policies and systems for the management and appointment of the clan. Emperor Liu should naturally make further arrangements for his sons, the core members of the Han clan.
Being crowned king is naturally a matter of course. Moreover, before the news spread, many people had thought that during the Northern Expedition, except for the prince, the brothers Liu Xu, Liu Xi, and Liu Fang all achieved great honors. The court discussed their merits, but there was no sufficient reward. The twists and turns in this are naturally thought-provoking.
And just as many people had guessed, the reason why he kept holding back was that Emperor Liu was really waiting for the return of Brother Liu Fang. Even after returning to Beijing, it still took more than a month to prepare.
Emperor Liu also showed great importance to the king-conferring ceremony, and the scene was extremely grand. The canonization ceremony was held in the Qianyuan Hall. Wei Renpu, the cabinet scholar and Duke of Yu State, served as the master of ceremonies. The attendees included clan members, relatives, ministers, and hundreds of officials of sixth rank or above. Envoys from various ethnic groups and countries in Beijing were specially invited to observe the ceremony.
Such a grand and solemn ceremony was enough to show that Emperor Liu attached great importance to this matter. There were only three princes who were preparing to be crowned kings, Liu Xu, Liu Xi, and Liu Fang. Therefore, during the ceremony, for the first time, they became the most dazzling supporting actors at Emperor Liu's feet, attracting everyone's attention.
In the Qianyuan Hall, nobles gathered. The ruling class of the Han Dynasty were all well-dressed and elegant. They stood in the highest palace of the Han Dynasty with great enthusiasm. Being able to stand here was a reflection of their power and status. .
"Let's begin!" Emperor Liu was dressed in formal imperial robes, sitting high on the dragon bed, his face full of majesty and solemnity, so calm that no one could see any emotion.
After receiving the order, Wei Renpu officially started the canonization ceremony in accordance with the etiquette. In the past, I was extremely disdainful of these seemingly complicated etiquette procedures, and even had a contemptuous attitude, wishing that all matters could be solved neatly and directly to the point.
However, as he grew older, and with the improvement of the entire system and social management system built under his leadership, he gained a deeper understanding of these tedious matters, and even enjoyed them. He had already realized that these rules and etiquette System is the embodiment of authority and a way to maintain the ruling class. As the emperor who stands at the top of the ruling class, how can he hate it anymore.
Emperor Liu's "maturity" is all-round, and his assimilation is also all-round. His ideology and spirit have long been integrated into this era, integrated into this era dominated by him, and of course, the era is also devouring and assimilating him.
Sitting at the highest place, the field of vision is wider, and you can see farther and more comprehensively. Of course, Qianyuan Hall is too big and there are too many people. Although it is neat and orderly, it is still difficult to see all the clouds. fundus.
However, this did not prevent Emperor Liu from observing his ministers and feeling their emotions. Of course, the focus is only on two people, the first queen and the second prince.
Today's grand canonization ceremony will undoubtedly have an important impact on the entire imperial court. To put it more seriously, it will even have far-reaching significance for the future of the empire.
At the moment, in Emperor Liu's opinion, the people most likely to have thoughts about this are his queen and prince. Da Fu would not object to the title of king, but the scene was so grand and solemn that it was inevitable for people to speculate on his intentions. As for the prince, even if he had many long talks with Emperor Liu, he would still be affected by such kindness from the kings.
However, what satisfied Emperor Liu was that the queen still behaved gracefully and magnanimously, sitting upright on the phoenix bed, showing her motherly appearance. Liu Yang was calm as usual, with a warm face and a smile on his lips, as if he was happy for his brothers.
The entire ceremony went smoothly according to the procedures, without any disturbance, and no one dared to cause trouble on such an occasion. This is a play, and everyone is an actor who is immersed in it. Even if they only play a trivial role, they still perform solemnly and integrate into it with 10% enthusiasm.
Of course, in this scene, there are only three protagonists. There is no need to think twice about the title. Emperor Liu had obviously laid the groundwork many years ago. This was proven when he changed the title of Meng Chang to Duke Zhao and transferred it to Liu Fang.
Liu Xu was granted the title of King of Qin, Liu Xi was granted the title of King of Jin, and Liu Fang was granted the title of King of Zhao. There was nothing unexpected about this. However, the canonization edict was a bit lengthy and was drafted by Wei Renpu himself. Emperor Liu's role in it was only to seal it, but this was also the most functional one.
Although it is only a title of king, and Emperor Liu has not given feudal meaning, the kings have no actual fiefs, no administrative and military power, and even the power of fiefs has not been determined, but for the current Han Dynasty, the feudal status of the kings , is definitely a sensational event, at least for these princes who were the first to be crowned kings.
The Han Dynasty's title system has been perfected for a long time, but there has always been a shortcoming. Now, it has been completed. In this pyramid of power and status, a group of top dignitaries were finally born, below Emperor Liu and the Crown Prince. Emperor Liu's original intention was also to safeguard the Heavenly Family and consolidate imperial power.
Wei King Liu Min also accumulated praise for his meritorious service during the expedition to Mobei, but due to his status, he has no title. He has been at the pinnacle of life since he was born, and he is not afraid of being overshadowed by his achievements.
There is no title, but there is a reward, and the reward is heavier than that of his brothers. Emperor Liu gave him an imperial palace from the two capitals in the east and west, as well as a series of rewards such as imperial weapons, famous horses, precious armor, gold and silver, etc. The famous weapons could not be improved any more, so he compensated them materially. At the same time, Emperor Liu also gave back a series of rewards. The Prince of Wei's Mansion increased the guard force by 100 people, allocating them from among the guards.
It can be seen that Emperor Liu's love for Liu Min was, of course, not without the influence of the Queen's great charm.
In addition to the three new kings, Emperor Liu also took advantage of this opportunity to grant titles to his other older sons. The fifth prince, Duke Liu Yun of Qi, was still standing still. He was a bit heartless, not disappointed or unwilling at all, he was smiling.
The seventh prince Liu Hui was granted the title of Duke of Wu, the eighth prince Liu Ming was granted the title of Duke of Lu, the ninth prince Liu Shu was granted the title of Duke of Chu, the tenth prince Liu Zhao was granted the title of Duke Yan, the eleventh prince Liu Xiao was granted the title of Duke Liang, and the twelfth prince Liu Han was granted the title of Duke of Yue.
These were all princes over ten years old, and it was also a grand gift of titles from Emperor Liu. Emperor Liu finally showed his generous side towards his own sons.
After the ceremony, the whole hall was naturally filled with cheers and congratulations, and the joyful atmosphere reached a climax. An imperial banquet was inevitable, and Emperor Liu specially called his sons who had won titles to the side hall to encourage and teach them.
